Wilver “Willie” Dornell Stargell
A multi-sport star at Alameda’s Encinal High School, Willie Stargell was the inspirational leader of the Pittsburgh Pirates and its captain. All of his 21 seasons were with the Pirates, where he crushed 475 home runs, twice leading the NL, with 48 in 1971 and with 44 in 1973. He drove in 1,540 runs and […]
Jim Pollard
Born in Oakland in 1922, Jim Pollard starred at Oakland Tech High School. As a member of Stanford’s 1942 NCAA Championship Team, he won high-scoring honors and was named to the All-Tournament Team. He played eight NBA seasons (1948-1955) with the Minneapolis Lakers, who won five NBA championships. He was elected to the Naismith Basketball […]
John Naber
After starting his swimming career at Woodside High School in Redwood City, Jim Naber attended USC, where he won 25 national AAU titles. At USC, he also set a record by winning 10 individual titles and led his team to four undefeated seasons. At the 1976 Olympic Games, he won four gold medals and one […]
Anthony M. Lazzeri
Born in San Francisco in 1906, Anthony Lazzeri developed his baseball skills at Jackson Playground in the Potrero District. He joined the New York Yankees in 1926, after hitting 60 home runs for the Salt Lake City Bees. A premier fielder as well as a hitter, he played second base, shortstop, and third. In his […]
George Blanda
As an Oakland Raider (1967-75), George Blanda set team records as the all-time scoring leader, with 863 points, and the single-season record, with 117 points. He was AFC Player of the Year in 1970 for his last-minute heroics, which brought the Raiders the championship. Blanda holds the NFL scoring record of 2,002 points; most PATS, […]